3. Relatively new to USC, Women’s Sand Volleyball has only been on campus since 2012. 

4. Head coach Anna Collier coached women's beach volleyball teams in a pair of Olympics and is now in her third season coaching USC. 

5. Assistant coach Andrew Fuller helped USC finish third in the team portion of the AVCA Collegiate Sand Volleyball National Championship and is now in his second year as an assistant coach. 

6. Assistant volunteer coach Misty May-Treanor is three-time Olympic beach volleyball gold medalist. 

7. USC Women's Sand Volleyball Roster has 18 members.

8. Stevi Robinson teamed with Kirby Burnham to win USC's first pairs national title in sand volleyball and were both named All-Americans. 

9. USC freshmen are killing it—top recruit Sara Hughes was named best defender at the Rainbow Wahine Spring Challenge. Hughes & Kelly Claes were both named to the Volleyball Magazine Girls' Fab 50.

10. Yoder, Burnham, and Hughes have been named USC Student-Athletes of the Week.

READ MORE: Women's Sand Volleyball News from USC Athletics

WATCH: Trojans Sweep Up Competition in First-Ever Pac-12 Networks Broadcast

SEE ALSO: 2013 Season Highlights  

You might be thinking- who are these girls? And what has brought this team so close that they are able to take over sand volleyball in only their third season at USC? 

We asked senior superstar Kirby Burnham—What do you think makes this team so unique and successful? 

“We’ve been working really hard. Since we're a sand-only team, it has given us a chance to really grow from the beginning of the year. We have a really unique program, whereas a lot of the other schools just have an indoor team that crosses over in the spring. I think we have that advantage over a lot of teams. It has given us a chance to really bond as a team, to be out on the sand and grow. We are really excited to go into the National Championship. This is the first time we have ever gone in as No. 1, and that puts a target on our back because it doesn’t matter until the last game. We are hoping to keep that throughout the entire tournament.” 

What is it like having Misty May-Treanor as one of your coaches? 

“Its awesome to have Misty as our coach not only because she has so much experience but also because it just helps the sport grow nationally.” 

Emerging freshman, Kelly Claes – What made you choose USC for Sand Volleyball? 

“I didn’t start playing Sand Volleyball until my senior year of high school. I tried out for the USC High-Performance team, I made the team and I traveled to Portugal with Sara [Hughes]. When I got back, Anna contacted me to play for beach [volleyball] because I was already committed to Long Beach State… They sold me. It’s a beautiful campus, its a great education. I love it here, its awesome.”

And what do you have to say about your coaches? 

“Anna [Collier] is amazing, she knows how to get the best out of you and Misty May knows how to break down the game.” Fresh out of high school, Claes admits “I was very nervous my first game, but I think I’ve gotten the flow of it.” 

The highly-regarded freshman on this year’s Sand Volleyball team, Sara Hughes, on how she handles the pressure as USC’s top-recruit on the No. 1 Sand Volleyball team… and how have her coaches helped you stay focused this first year?

“When I came to USC, I fell in love with it instantly. I try not to think about being the No. 1 recruit. I am just happy where I am, I keep working hard, [and] that’s my mentality about it. Maybe a little pressure, but I am really happy. Starting off with our head coach Anna [Collier], she has helped me so much and improved my game so much. I am really grateful for her. Just with the little things, I’ve already become such a better player. Our assistant coach, Andrew [Fuller] is great with the technical things. Of course, Misty [May] was my idol growing up. Having her here, and telling me the little things about what it takes, means a lot to me.” 

Coach Collier is definitely pleased with her first recruiting class…. We asked her how have these girls gone past your expectations and what were you looking for in your first recruiting class? 

“We play ten players and five are freshmen. These are the girls that I’ve brought in and looked at and feel are the top sand players in the nation. Fortunately for me and USC, they turned out to be the top recruiting class, and are excelling beyond all my dreams as freshmen. They really are stepping up to win matches.” 

 How do you help your ream handle the stardom girls are facing with such success? 

“We do a lot of talking about staying within your competition bubble. Look at what you need to do as an athlete to be the best volleyball player on that day. We talk about it, we meet about it, and we have a sports psychologist to keep them in the competitive arena. And it works.” 

How do you feel about the pressure that comes with being No. 1?

“I have a hard time with it. I really don’t like to be No. 1 because everyone is looking for you and everyone plays their best volleyball against you. They’re thinking they have nothing to lose. I’d rather be No. 2. That’s the situation we were in when we played No. 1 Pepperdine early in the season. It is a different situation, for us, what I talk about is that we cannot control what they are doing on the other side of the court. As long as we play championship volleyball on our side of the court, whatever the outcome is, it’s going to be okay.” 

How do you work with your assistant coaches to improve your team? 

“We all bring our different talents to the court. Misty is probably the most incredible person I’ve ever met. She’s so helpful and so giving that its almost scary in the sense that I’m like, ‘you have three gold medals and you still want to come to USC and be so giving to the girls?’ She believes that if you have knowledge as a person, as a coach or as a player that you need to share it. That is just a beautiful statement that she has made, and that has helped us tenfold. Andrew is very drill oriented. He creates these really innovative, creative drills and Misty and I put our tweaks on them. And it works...and I’m just the crazy one around here.”  

Contact Staff Reporter, Cubby Sporrong here. Follow her on Twitter here.